koeifandomcom-20200223-history
Ieyasu Tokugawa
Ieyasu Tokugawa first appears in Samurai Warriors as a unique generic who has his own in-game cutscenes and quotes. He becomes a playable character in Samurai Warriors 2. He is the leading daimyo of the Tokugawa clan, Hidetada's father, and one of the three unifiers of Japan, preceded by Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi. In the first Samurai Warriors, he is 31 years old and he stands at 170 cm (close to 5'7"). His height in the second and third title is 168 cm (a little over 5'6"). In Saihai no Yukue, his height is 165 cm (close to 5'5") and he is 55 years old. His hobby is caring for his health and longevity; his favorite food are simmered dishes. Role in Games Samurai Warriors Ieyasu is the proud lord of Mikawa and an old friend of Nobunaga. Due to political affairs, he was a former ally of Yoshimoto Imagawa. When Imagawa is ambushed at Okehazama, Ieyasu and his men choose to side with the Oda. In the first game, he plays a relatively supportive role and a secondary villain in other characters' scenarios -such as Yukimura or Goemon's stories. He schemes to take the land for his own by heavily relying on his vassals and resourceful shinobi, Hanzō. His leadership qualities are better demonstrated in Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends though he still relies on Tadakatsu for consolation. In the second game, Ieyasu is already allied with Nobunaga and aids his ally by attacking the larger Asakura army at Anegawa. He then tries to attack Shingen but falls victim to the elder general's ambush. Escaping with his life, Ieyasu mourns the vassals lost for his safety. Tadakatsu assures him that they died protecting the world of peace his lord envisions, strengthening Ieyasu's resolve. Shingen and Nobunaga eventually pass away and Ieyasu becomes one of the two powerful men of the land. To settle their differences, he challenges his rival, Hideyoshi, at Komaki-Nagakute. Although he won the battle, Ieyasu thought that killing his rival would only throw the land into confusion once more. Therefore, he keeps his ambitions in check and lets Hideyoshi rule for the time. As he assists the western siege at Odawara Castle, he gains Masamune as an ally. After Hideyoshi's passing, Ieyasu decides to set his plans into action and clashes with the Toyotomi loyalist, Mitsunari. After winning the battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu becomes shogun and finally unites the land. Remaining Toyotomi loyalists band together to oppose him at Osaka Castle. Fearing that failure to affirm his grip would throw the land once more into chaos, he leads his army to destroy them. With the land finally at peace, Ieyasu has completed his arduous journey for unity. His dream stage focuses on a "what if?" scenario prior to the Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu and Ina are unexpectedly isolated from their allies when Kanetsugu and the Uesugi army heads straight for their location. His enemies also include the Sanada army from Ueda and Yoshinobu Satake. Ieyasu begins his story in Samurai Warriors 3 similar to his previous story and his goal for peace is emphasized. Slaying Nagamasa at Anegawa, the Oda army conquers the Takeda and the land has a brief reprieve from war. Ieyasu stations himself near Kyoto to oversee the growing serenity until Nobunaga suddenly dies at Honnoji. Determined to live and see his friend's dream for peace realized, Ieyasu flees. Breaking through Kotarō and Motochika at Iga, he safely arrives in Mikawa. After Hideyoshi slays Mitsuhide, it became a manner of time before the powerful generals would compete their ambitions against one another at Komaki-Nagakute. During the conflict, they both grow to respect one another and realize that they truly shared similar goals. When Ieyasu defeats Hideyoshi, he insists that they work together to achieve the dream that their lord sought. He gladly supports Hideyoshi's vision until the latter's natural death. Mitsunari, who disagrees with Ieyasu being the land's greatest man, assembles an army to oppose him. For the hopes of his fallen friends and for the future, Ieyasu defeats him at Sekigahara and Yukimura at Osaka Castle. Naming Yukimura as the greatest warrior in the land upon the younger man's death, he is pleased to see everyone's dream fulfilled at last and desires to treasure the hard-fought peace. Warriors Orochi During Orochi's scenario, Ieyasu is attacked at his home, Edo Castle, by the serpent army lead by Sun Ce. Not wanting to submit, he coordinates a brave resistance with his ally, Masamune. He counters many of his enemy's tactics -including their fire attack- but is ultimately outmaneuvered. To ensure his men's safety, he agrees to serve Orochi. He is one of the generals who assists the serpent king's showdown with Nobunaga. Ieyasu reluctantly continues his servitude in the first game. Though he asks for the young man to calm his impulsive nature for the time, he sympathizes with Sun Ce. During the story, Ieyasu also helps Sun Ce in many battles, such as Anegawa, where he keeps the main camp safe while the rest of the Wu command attacks. When the Little Conqueror defects, Ieyasu follows suite and saves innocent people from Orochi's wrath. In Warriors Orochi 2, Ieyasu Tokugawa and his vassals join forces with Liu Bei. When Masamune is seen as a possible key to breaking Orochi's newly formed army, Ieyasu leads the force against him, hoping to reason with his old friend at Saika Village. However, he fails to convince his former ally to leave the serpent king's army. He shares his Dream stage with the other Unifiers of Japan and wage a war against the Three Kingdoms rulers. He admires Liu Bei's trait of enduring hardship for his country. Kessen Ieyasu is the irreplaceable leader of the Tokugawa forces in Kessen. A bold and wise ruler, he is fighting to realize the late Nobunaga's wish for peace. He often laughs in a fearless yet cynical manner during rather grim times. If he continues to be victorious throughout his campaigns, Ieyasu will gain a favorable position in the Imperial Court and eventually work his way up to shogun. Retiring and passing leadership to Hidetada, he arranges a marriage with his granddaughter, Princess Sen, to Hideyori. With his new political ties, the Toyotomis comply to weaken the defenses around Osaka Castle. However, the Toyotomis are bitter towards Ieyasu's ploys and tensions continue to mount between them. If he ends his rivals to power, Ieyasu will apologize to his granddaughter for her loss yet is pleased with the new peace they have. Losing this battle allows the Toyotomi family to regain some of their lost power and they push back against Ieyasu at Sekigahara. Winning either Osaka or Sekigahara means unification under Ieyasu, while losing the final encounter at Sekigahara has Ieyasu commit suicide. Should Ieyasu experience a straight string of losses, however, he may lose Ii to Mitsunari's troops. Tōdō may be lost if he loses the battle against Yukimura at Seta. Ieyasu runs the risk of being accused an enemy of the state by the powerful Toyotomi family. If he is defeated several times by Mitsunari, he will abandon his smaller territories and gamble his life in a final battle in Edo. Winning this battle gives Ieyasu a second chance to rebound from his defeat and face Yukimura at Sekigahara. If he loses either of these decisive battles, however, he will end his own life. During the [[Kessen III|third Kessen]], he is a valuable support character for Nobunaga. He usually leads a hardy spear or cavalry troop into battle, only using rifles at Nagashino. When he is first introduced, he is known as Motoyasu Matsudaira (松平 元康). Before Nobunaga learned Ieyasu's formal name, he called him by his childhood name, Takechiyo (竹千代), since he hasn't seen him since they were children. When he was a child, Nobunaga granted Ieyasu a small taste of freedom by running away from the guards within Owari. Though they were quickly captured, Ieyasu took the event to heart and they became fast friends. With his wife and children taken hostage, he is forced to fight against his friend when Yoshimoto is still alive. After the Imagawa family falls, he renames himself as Ieyasu and remains loyal to Nobunaga's cause. Learning that Nobunaga had actually survived Honnoji, he bitterly stifles his own plans for conquest to continue helping his friend. Ieyasu even helps Nobunaga in the epilogue battle against Yoshiaki and the Spanish navy. In this series, he also has a young concubine named Okatsu, who is believed to be one of Hanzō's descendants. Nobunaga's Ambition In this series, Ieyasu's qualities are a mix of the best traits found among the three unifiers. Ieyasu's numbers are similar to Nobunaga's war and bravery stats and has parallels with Hideyoshi's intelligence and talents with government affairs. His defining trait are his high marks for morality, which sets him apart from the other two unifiers. He often has a unique ability to increase his defenses or his troop strength in the series. Ieyasu works best when marching with foot soldiers in war, though he often has a high proficiency with rifle troops. His name changes throughout his life as well as his accomplishments to end the period of wars often have special events dedicated to them. Ieyasu's death poem is featured in the newest title. During the online adaption of the series, he has already parted ways with the Imagawa family -though Yoshimoto is still alive in the game- as a level 70 daimyo. A reserved stoic leader, Ieyasu sets an example of serene mannerisms for his followers. He specifically characterizes anger a vice to victory. Although he acts with utter composure, his emotions are likely to rise in the heat of battle. Comparing himself to an immovable mountain, he boldly states that he is destined to win his every encounter. When in battle, Ieyasu casts protective spells on himself and his party. His special ability, "Ultimate Patience", casts a protective barrier on allies while boosting their magic and attack power. Tendou features the option of selecting his impostor for the first time in the series. His impostor has a higher sense of justice than the original but possesses lower ratings in war and bravery. Either version of Ieyasu can star in a scenario named Hotogisu no Yukue, a "what-if?" story of Ieyasu breaking ties with Nobunaga in 1590 to stake his own claim on the land. The real Ieyasu's version has him act as a sound and wise leader for his men. Again stressing patience, he seeks to create a lasting peace for the populace while being fair to the people. He preaches the risks and consequences of war to his generals, requesting they take each action with cautious clarity. During a tea ceremony with Imai Sōkyū, the renowned host asked Ieyasu of his most valued possession. The daimyo gives his answer as people, specifically honoring those who gave their lives for him and whose sacrifices he will always remember. Sōkyū is impressed with Ieyasu's answer and dubs him as the one who will truly lead the land. To further commemorate his recognition of the daimyo, he grants Ieyasu the treasured sword, Mikazuki Munechika, one of the five valued swords within the land. As thanks, Ieyasu swears a quicker end to the chaos. If Ieyasu causes the downfall of the Oda clan, he becomes nostalgic of his past with Nobunaga. He relates to Tadatsugu Sakai that he never believed himself capable of besting his friend even during his childhood days. Before Ieyasu can dwell further into the past and utter his adoration for Nobunaga, Tadatsugu stringently lectures his lord to not lose face as the land's next ruler. Laughing away his stagnant doubts, Ieyasu finally says goodbye to his days as Takechiyo. During the Toyotomi's fall, Ieyasu converses with Naomasa. He admits Hideyoshi to be the pure genius of the land and one who he can't hope to surpass. The daimyo thanks Naomasa and his other retainers' support as their ties were what truly granted them victory over their intelligent foe. Uniting the land as the real Ieyasu leads a gradual yet steadfast path to ages of prosperity. By contrast, during the impostor's scenario, the real Ieyasu is swiftly killed by a ninja late at night when alone in his quarters. Discovered the next day by his closest retainers, they mourn their failure to protect their lord when he was at peril. Seeing Ieyasu's lookalike, Ieyasu Serada, present within the circle, Masanobu proposes a plan. To avoid having to tell the sad news to the public, the fake Ieyasu should pose as the real one and continue on with Ieyasu's ambitions. With the four generals agreeing to carry out their departed lord's vision, the look-alike agrees to the scheme. Throughout his conquests, however, he fears his origins as a no-name peasant might shine through and he may not be worthy of their departed lord's image. When rummaging through Ieyasu's belongings, he discovers a letter written by Ieyasu and presents it to those who know the secret. As he reads a passage describing harmony for the villagers and the land, the circle form a greater sense of dedication to their late lord's image. Therefore, when the look-alike Ieyasu confides his lack of conviction or ponders the virtues of his actions whilst defeating Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, the generals assure their steadfast belief in him and their departed lord. Should the land be united within this scenario, the other Ieyasu wants to continue spreading the Tokugawa's influence across the land in honor of their departed lord's image. Privately, he asks Ieyasu to give his blessings for him and the path he has chosen. Saihai no Yukue Ieyasu appears as Mitsunari's arch nemesis in Saihai no Yukue. Compared to his other Koei counterparts, he is a composed and hardened skeptic who comes from a decorated background severely alienating him from Mitsunari. With an unmistakable presence of authority and wisdom, he beats Mitsunari in every aspect for commanding armies into war. Ieyasu has a wily sense of humor, amused when his rivals' gain the upper hand against him. He leads the Eastern Army to conquer the land for his own. Like Mitsunari, he also possesses the mystical power, "Heaven's Eye", an ability that allows the user to see other people's thoughts and seemingly read the flow of battle. The two rivals met a year prior to Sekigahara as Mitsunari sought refuge in his mansion from an assassination attempt. While debating with his rival, Mitsunari glimpses into his heart and sees that he desires to create his own land for peace. He becomes aware of the youth's Heaven's Eye and is interested in the younger man's capabilities. Near the end of Sekigahara, Mitsunari glimpses into his mind once more and realizes that Ieyasu foresaw a different future, in which the Eastern Army was victorious and had Mitsunari facing his execution. Beaten by the younger man's stronger will, he loses the battle. Mitsunari, who doesn't want to see more deaths on the field, spares his life. Ieyasu then reveals that he was sent there by Lady Yodo, who pleaded with him to end Mitsunari's supposed tyranny. After her will is broken, Ieyasu leaves her services and returns to Edo. Three years later, he unites the land and burns down Osaka Castle. Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya Introduced as young Takechiyo in Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya, the boy is on the run from Imagawa soldiers. Captured by Oda scouts, he and his party are escorted back to Owari as a political hostage. While entering the Oda castle, Takechiyo meets the callous Nobunaga. Later, when his father dies in battle, Nobunaga arrogantly informs the isolated youth of the news. As the devastated child breaks down in tears, the teenager pushes the boy to abandon his sentimental ties to the dead and harden himself for the future. Alone and forced to think about his future survival, Takechiyo complies. Growing up as Motoyasu Matsudaira, he feels no inhibitions as he abandons his family alliance with the Imagawa clan after Okehazama. Seeking profit in joining the Oda, he changes his family name to discard his past ties to the Imagawa and offers his services to Nobunaga. He uses the pretense of friendship to get close to the daimyo and is quickly accepted without a second thought. While the Oda suffers troubles in the west from various rebelling factions, Nobunaga harshly pushes the responsibilities of the entire eastern defense to Ieyasu. As a reward, Nobunaga entreats Ieyasu for a time in Azuchi Castle. Soon after, he witnesses Mitsuhide voicing his concerns of spreading out the Oda troops and asks for Nobunaga to reconsider his planned attack on the Mōri. Taking note of Mitsuhide's frustration after their lord's outburst, Ieyasu replies that perhaps Nobunaga has gone too far and should be stopped for the good of the land. He feigns the remark as a harmless joke, but Ieyasu actually schemes to use Mitsuhide as his puppet. When Honnoji occurs, Ieyasu makes a slippery getaway through Iga to avoid further ties with Mitsuhide and leaves the general to die at the hands of the Mōri army. Taking refuge in Mikawa, he begins his plans to eradicate the rest of the Oda so his rule would be undisputed. He "rescues" Nobukatsu Oda from the Akechi army and asks the Oda remnants to join him. Somehow, he found Shikanosuke's son in an attempt to personally wreck Terumoto's resolve. Ieyasu builds his fortifications before he unleashes his forces against the Mōri army at Sekigahara. Retreating to Gifu Castle when his forces are defeated, Ieyasu hopes to use the castle's history as inspiration for his final battle with the Mōri. Losing his finest generals in their fateful battle, he barely manages to flee from his adversaries. Ieyasu's guards eventually leave his side until he is left alone at an unnamed beach. Collapsing due to the deep wounds he has suffered, Ieyasu recognizes the area from his childhood days. It is the same spot he visited with his parents to view the sea for the first time. Realizing it was the last time he remembered being happy, Ieyasu cries bittersweet tears of nostalgia as he dies. Character Information Development At first, Ieyasu was designed to be a solid yet peculiarly incompetent warlord. He is meant to be seen as a rather lucky leader with good men by his side. His armor was given a turtle motif to reflect his sturdy yet almost cowardly nature. The director and producer stated that this was done since the first game's focus was Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in the following expansion, meaning that Ieyasu's exploits had to be cut back to compensate. Since the focus of the second game was introducing Sekigahara, Ieyasu's design was altered for a more heroic impact. His physical features were also changed to make him seem like a "friendly uncle" with a more tolerant nature. Ieyasu's overall design surrounded the famed historical explanation for Ieyasu's figure and personality, in that he had a "tanuki body shape". Though they wanted to keep his spear, they rounded it out slightly to keep in touch with the tanuki motif. The helmet he wears in this game is very similar to the actual helmet he historically wore at Sekigahara. Personality At first, Ieyasu is generally seen as a panicky and somewhat incompetent leader with very talented generals under his command and mostly luck on his side. He becomes a sturdy, keen, and responsible individual as he appears in more games. Valuing a slow and steady approach to most problems, he believes that he should endure any burden in order to realize a harmonious future for everyone. Knowing that he can't achieve this vision by himself, he is willing to use and accept any who believe in him. Although he is known to sometimes give into frustration and bitterness during his second appearance, he is more compassionate towards his rivals in his newest appearance. His rivals usually deem his slow rise to power as underhanded and wily; the more outspoken individuals occasionally ridicule his appearance and demeanor with the unflattering "tanuki" nickname. In the English script for Samurai Warriors 2, this is usually replaced with various jokes regarding his weight. Regarding his friendship with Nobunaga, Ieyasu respects and admires him. However, he also acts subservient -more so in his second appearance- to his friend's dark sense of humor. Though they make an unlikely pair, both men know that they share the same dream for peace. He believes in and cares for each of his vassals and allies, even the ones he doesn't necessarily agree with on a personal level, such as Kojirō and Kiyomasa. He acts heroically with the ones closest to him and greatly praises their efforts. If he thinks that he is able, Ieyasu will try to support their duties. When his vassals are in danger, Ieyasu easily becomes emotional when seeing them suffer on the battlefield. On the other hand, Ieyasu holds various levels of appreciation and doubt towards his friend and ally, Masamune. Character Symbolism He's symbolized by the words "future" (将) and "unite" (統) in the Samurai Warriors series. His third weapon is named after a quaking sound of a cannon, a siege weapon deployed by Tokugawa troops during the Osaka Campaign. A quaking explosion (Power) and a violent quaking (Speed) appear with the weapon's variations. Ōhatsusewakatakeru-no-Mikoto forms the namesake of Ieyasu's fourth weapon. His namesake is another name for Emperor Yūryaku, the Twenty-first Emperor of Japan. He has been described as a person who at first despised killing, weary of even hunting for wild boar for food. However, he eventually wished to strengthen not only the royal line, but his family's influence with his actions. By doing so, he wished to rule over a land of peace. According to the Kiki and Furukoto Fumi, Emperor Ankō, Ōhatsusewakatakeru's older brother from the same mother, had assassinated his rival to power for the throne, Ōkusa-no-Miko (one of the princes of the nineteenth emperor). Emperor Ankō made Ōkusa's wife his empress and raised Ōkusa's son, Mayowa-no-Ōkimi, as his stepchild. However, when a young Mayowa learned the truth of his real father, he killed Emperor Ankō by stabbing him whilst he slept. Learning of Mayowa's instigation, Ōhatsusewakatakeru lead his troops to suppress them. By killing all the instigators and other defiant members of royalty, Ōhatsusewakatakeru was then enthroned with the title Yamato Ōken. Later in his reign, he initiated a campaign to capture Korea and tried to conquer the Three Kingdoms: Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo. He allegedly succeeded once against Baekje in 476 but was beaten back by locals during the following year. Ōhatsusewakatakeru died when he was twenty-six years due to illness, although it has been argued that he was poisoned or assassinated by using discreet means. Ieyasu's fifth weapon, "East Illumination Hollyhock Fire Festival", has three namesakes. The first originates from his posthumous name, Tōshō Daigongen, or Great Gongen of East Illumination. A single character of the weapon's name (葵) is taken from the name of the iconic Tokugawa family coat of arms, the three hollyhock leaves (三つ葉葵). The hollyhock was believed to be an auspicious symbol of divine protection, originally seen as an emblem with two leaves throughout shrines in Kyoto. Ieyasu's version is believed to be a deviation on the duo leaves symbol by adding one more leaf for extra fortune. A fire festival is the last part of the weapon's name, a traditional celebration of flames that dates from the Warring States period. Fire festivals continue to be held throughout Japan, two of which happen within modern day locations of archaic Mikawa. The original name for his personal item in Warriors Orochi is Zhenguan Zhengyao, the memoirs of Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong is considered one of the greatest rulers in Chinese history. His reign prospered with a rich economy and well armed military. Learning from his reign is highly recommended for future generations of rulers. Zhenguan Zhengyao includes biographies of his various retainers, each revered for contributing greatly to the government affairs. Voice Actors * R. Martin Klein - Samurai Warriors (English) * Vladimir Saklikov - Samurai Warriors 2 (English) * Dave Mallow - Warriors Orochi series, Samurai Warriors 3 (English) * Paul Dobson - Kessen (English) * Dan Woren - Kessen III (English) * Wendee Lee - Kessen III; as a child (English) * Jōji Nakata - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese) * Tessho Genda - Kessen (Japanese) * Hideo Ishikawa - Kessen III (Japanese) * Akemi Satō - Kessen III; as a child (Japanese) Quotes *"One step at a time!" *"I have surpassed another obstacle!" *"Behold the strength of the warriors from Mikawa!" *"Remember, slow and steady wins the race." *"Do not try to force victory - Hold out and it will come." *"Patience is the surest way to victory." *"Patience is the key to any battle." *"Step by step!" *"Loyal retainers are precious treasures. And that makes me the wealthiest man of all." ::~~Ieyasu in Ina's ending; Samurai Warriors 2 *"Peace and honor are not always the same. Peace is a safe and happy livelihood for all. All people deserve peace, and to rob them of it in the name of honor is a contradiction. Common men must be allowed to live so they may discover honor for themselves. This is what Mitsunari fails to understand. For his short-sightedness, he will dearly pay." ::~~After defeating the Sanada and Uesugi army; Samurai Warriors 2 *"I fight for the people. And a better world! I cannot lose!" :"It is a great honor to face you in battle!" ::~~Liu Bei and Ieyasu Tokugawa; Warriors Orochi 2 *"Mitsunari... I applaud your boldness. Your loyalty to the Toyotomis... is admirable. But honor alone will not bring what you seek. I will triumph... and forge a new world of my own design! My world!!" ::~~Before Sekigahara; Kessen *"If Lord Nobunaga was born to be a hunting falcon, I was born to be a sea bird bound to the shore." ::~~Comment about taking over Nobunaga's ambition; Kessen III Gameplay Moveset Samurai Warriors 2 Ground Attacks : : aims his spear downward and fires the ground beneath him. Breaks enemy guard. : , : slashes upward, launching enemy into the air : , , : fires a blast from his spear which dizzies the enemy. : , , , : horizontally slashes the enemies in front of him : , , , , : fires three cannonballs upward which launches the enemy : , , , , , : fires his spear downward, creating a shockwave around him : , , , , , , : fires a blue laser beam in a straight line in front of him : , , , , , , , : his spear sprays fire in an arc in front of him; has the added Fire element : , , , , , , , , : (Xtreme Legends only) after some preparation, he fires three cannonballs : , , , , , , , , , , , :does a series of slashes and follows with five fired cannonballs : , : jumps down making a shockwave : , : fires a cannonball downward : : while standing still, Ieyasu fires five homing cannonballs. It takes time for him to "reload" between each shot. In his True Musou version, he'll fire quick three rows of cannonballs before finishing. In his level 3 version, he fires many more cannonballs while being supported by an overhead cannonball volley. :R1 + : Ieyasu shoots a single cannonball in front of him. :R1 + : Ieyasu readies himself and fires five homing cannonballs in front of him. :Personal Skill : (Pressure) Push back enemies with while guarding. Mounted Attacks : , : : , , : : , , , : : , , , , , , , : ;Warriors Orochi Moves remain the same except he loses his C9 and his Level 3 Musou. He also gains a different R1 skill. :R1: readies his spear on his shoulder and fires a long blast of energy. Can be interrupted during the move's execution. Samurai Warriors 3 : (Ultimate/Kaiden): :Spirit Cancel: Fighting Style Samurai Warriors Warriors Orochi Weapons Samurai Warriors 2 Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends Samurai Warriors 3 Historical Information Ieyasu Tokugawa'' ''was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. His given name is sometimes spelled Iyeyasu, according to the historical pronunciation of we. Ieyasu was posthumously enshrined at Nikkō Tōshō-gū with the name Tōshō Daigongen. Early life (1543–1556) Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa on the 26th day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Tenbun, according to the Japanese calendar. Originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo (松平 竹千代), he was the son of Matsudaira Hirotada (松平 広忠), the daimyo of Mikawa of the Matsudaira clan, and Odainokata (於大の方), the daughter of a neighboring samurai lord Mizuno Tadamasa (水野 忠政). His mother and father were step-siblings. They were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. Two years later, Odainokata was sent back to her family and the couple never lived together again. As both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu in the end had 11 half-brothers and sisters. The Matsudaira family was split in 1550: one side wanted to be vassals of the Imagawa clan, while the other side preferred the Oda. As a result, much of Ieyasu's early years were spent in danger as wars with the Oda and Imagawa clans were fought. This family feud was the reason behind the murder of Hirotada's father (Takechiyo's grandfather), Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (松平 清康). Unlike his father and the majority of his branch of the family, Ieyasu's father, Hirotada, favored the Imagawa clan. In 1548, when the Oda clan invaded Mikawa, Hirotada turned to Imagawa Yoshimoto, the head of the Imagawa clan, for help to repel the invaders. Yoshimoto agreed to help under the condition that Hirotada send his son Takechiyo to Sumpu as a hostage. Hirotada agreed. Oda Nobuhide, the leader of the Oda clan, learned of this arrangement and had Ieyasu abducted from his entourage en route to Sumpu. Ieyasu was just six years old at the time. Nobuhide threatened to execute Takechiyo unless his father severed all ties with the Imagawa clan. Hirotada replied that sacrificing his own son would show his seriousness in his pact with the Imagawa clan. Despite this refusal, Nobuhide chose not to kill Takechiyo but instead held him for the next three years at the Manshoji Temple in Nagoya. In 1549, when Takechiyo was 7, his father Hirotada died of natural causes. At about the same time, Oda Nobuhide died during an epidemic. The deaths dealt a heavy blow to the Oda clan. An army under the command of Imagawa Sessai laid siege to the castle where Oda Nobuhiro, Nobuhide's eldest son and the new head of the Oda, was living. With the castle about to fall, Imagawa Sessai offered a deal to Oda Nobunaga (Oda Nobuhide's second son). Sessai offered to give up the siege if Ieyasu was handed over to the Imagawa clan. Nobunaga agreed and so Takechiyo (now nine) was taken as a hostage to Sumpu. Here he lived a fairly good life as hostage and potentially useful future ally of the Imagawa clan until 1556 when he was age 15. Rise to power (1556–1584) In 1556, Takechiyo came of age, and, following tradition, changed his name to Matsudaira Jirōsaburō Motonobu (松平 次郎三郎 元信). One year later, at the age of 16 (according to East Asian age reckoning), he married his first wife and changed his name again to Matsudaira Kurandonosuke Motoyasu (松平 蔵人佐 元康). Allowed to return to his native Mikawa, the Imagawa ordered him to fight the Oda clan in a series of battles. Motoyasu fought his first battle at the Siege of Terabe and later succeeded in delivering supplies to a border fort through a bold night attack. In 1560 the leadership of the Oda clan had passed to the brilliant leader Oda Nobunaga. Yoshimoto, leading a large Imagawa army (perhaps 20,000 strong) then attacked the Oda clan territory. Motoyasu with his Mikawa troops captured a fort at the border and then stayed there to defend it. As a result, Motoyasu and his men were not present at the Battle of Okehazama where Yoshimoto was killed by Oda Nobunaga's surprise assault. With Yoshimoto dead, Motoyasu decided to ally with the Oda clan. A secret deal was needed because Motoyasu's wife and infant son, Nobuyasu were held hostage in Sumpu by the Imagawa clan. In 1561, Motonobu openly broke with the Imagawa and captured the fortress of Kaminojo. Motonobu was then able to exchange his wife and son for the wife and daughter of the ruler of Kaminojo castle. In 1563 Nobuyasu was married to Nobunaga's daughter Tokuhime. For the next few years Motonobu set to reform the Matsudaira clan and pacifying Mikawa. He also strengthened his key vassals by awarding them land and castles in Mikawa. They were: Honda Tadakatsu, Ishikawa Kazumasa, Koriki Kiyonaga, Hattori Hanzō, Sakai Tadatsugu, and Sakakibara Yasumasa. Motoyasu defeated the military forces of the Mikawa Monto within Mikawa province at the Battle of Azukizaka. The Monto were a warlike group of monks that were ruling Kaga Province and had many temples elsewhere in Japan. They refused to obey Ieyasu's commands and so he went to war with them, defeating their troops and pulling down their temples. In one battle Motoyasu was nearly killed when he was struck by a bullet which did not penetrate his armor. Both Ieyasu's Mikawa troops and the Monto forces were using the new gunpowder weapons which the Portuguese had introduced to Japan just 20 years earlier. In 1567, Motoyasu changed his name yet again, his new family name was Tokugawa and his given name was now Ieyasu. In so doing, he claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. No proof has actually been found for this claimed descent from Seiwa tennō, the 56th Emperor of Japan. Ieyasu remained an ally of Oda Nobunaga and his Mikawa soldiers were part of Nobunaga's army which captured Kyoto in 1568. At the same time Ieyasu was expanding his own territory. He and Takeda Shingen, the head of the Takeda clan in Kai Province made an alliance for the purpose of conquering all the Imagawa territory. In 1570, Ieyasu's troops captured Tōtōmi Province while Shingen's troops captured Suruga province (including the Imagawa capital of Sumpu). Ieyasu ended his alliance with Takeda and sheltered their former enemy, Imagawa Ujizane; he also allied with Uesugi Kenshin of the Uesugi clan—an enemy of the Takeda clan. Later that year, Ieyasu led 5,000 of his own men supporting Nobunaga at the Battle of Anegawa against the Azai and Asakura clans. In October 1571, Takeda Shingen, now allied with the Hōjō clan, attacked the Tokugawa lands of Tōtōmi. Ieyasu asked for help from Nobunaga, who sent him some 3,000 troops. Early in 1573 the two armies met at the Battle of Mikatagahara. The Takeda army, under the expert direction of Shingen, hammered at Ieyasu's troops until they were broken. Ieyasu fled with just 5 men to a nearby castle. This was a major loss for Ieyasu, but Shingen was unable to exploit his victory because Ieyasu quickly gathered a new army and refused to fight Shingen again on the battlefield. Fortune smiled on Ieyasu a year later when Takeda Shingen died at a siege early in 1573. Shingen was succeeded by his less capable son Takeda Katsuyori. In 1575, the Takeda army attacked Nagashino Castle in Mikawa province. Ieyasu appealed to Nobunaga for help and the result was that Nobunaga personally came at the head of his very large army (about 30,000 strong). The Oda-Tokugawa force of 38,000 won a great victory on June 28, 1575, at the Battle of Nagashino, though Takeda Katsuyori survived the battle and retreated back to Kai province. For the next seven years, Ieyasu and Katsuyori fought a series of small battles. Ieyasu's troops managed to wrest control of Suruga province away from the Takeda clan. In 1579, Ieyasu's wife, and his eldest son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, were accused by Nobunaga of conspiring with Takeda Katsuyori to assassinate Nobunaga, whose daughter Tokuhime (1559–1636) was married to Nobuyasu. Ieyasu's wife was executed and Nobuyasu was forced to commit seppuku. Ieyasu then named his third and favorite son, Tokugawa Hidetada, as heir, since his second son was adopted by another rising power: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the future ruler of all Japan. The end of the war with Takeda came in 1582 when a combined Oda-Tokugawa force attacked and conquered Kai province. Takeda Katsuyori, as well as his eldest son Takeda Nobukatsu, were defeated at the Battle of Temmokuzan and then committed seppuku. In late 1582, Ieyasu was near Osaka and far from his own territory when he learned that Nobunaga had been assassinated by Akechi Mitsuhide. Ieyasu managed the dangerous journey back to Mikawa, avoiding Mitsuhide's troops along the way, as they were trying to find and kill him. One week after he arrived in Mikawa, Ieyasu's army marched out to take revenge on Mitsuhide. But they were too late, Hideyoshi—on his own—defeated and killed Akechi Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki. The death of Nobunaga meant that some provinces, ruled by Nobunaga's vassals, were ripe for conquest. The leader of Kai province made the mistake of killing one of Ieyasu's aides. Ieyasu promptly invaded Kai and took control. Hōjō Ujimasa, leader of the Hōjō clan responded by sending his much larger army into Shinano and then into Kai province. No battles were fought between Ieyasu's forces and the large Hōjō army and, after some negotiation, Ieyasu and the Hōjō agreed to a settlement which left Ieyasu in control of both Kai and Shinano provinces, while the Hōjō took control of Kazusa province (as well as bits of both Kai and Shinano province). At the same time (1583) a war for rule over Japan was fought between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie. Ieyasu did not take a side in this conflict, building on his reputation for both caution and wisdom. Hideyoshi defeated Katsuie at Battle of Shizugatake—with this victory, Hideyoshi became the single most powerful daimyo in Japan. Ieyasu and Hideyoshi (1584–1598) In 1584, Ieyasu decided to support Oda Nobukatsu, the eldest son and heir of Oda Nobunaga, against Hideyoshi. This was a dangerous act and could have resulted in the annihilation of the Tokugawa. Tokugawa troops took the traditional Oda stronghold of Owari, Hideyoshi responded by sending an army into Owari. The Komaki Campaign was the only time any of the great unifiers of Japan fought each other: Hideyoshi vs. Ieyasu. The campaign proved indecisive and after months of fruitless marches and feints, Hideyoshi settled the war through negotiation. First he made peace with Oda Nobukatsu, and then he offered a truce to Ieyasu. The deal was made at the end of the year; as part of the terms Ieyasu's second son, O Gi Maru, became an adopted son of Hideyoshi. Ieyasu's aide, Ishikawa Kazumasa, chose to join the pre-eminent daimyo and so he moved to Osaka to be with Hideyoshi. However, only a few other Tokugawa retainers followed this example. Hideyoshi was understandably distrustful of Ieyasu, and five years passed before they fought as allies. The Tokugawa did not participate in Hideyoshi's successful invasions of Shikoku and Kyūshū. In 1590 Hideyoshi attacked the last independent daimyo in Japan, Hōjō Ujimasa. The Hōjō clan ruled the eight provinces of the Kantō region in eastern Japan. Hideyoshi ordered them to submit to his authority and they refused. Ieyasu, though a friend and occasional ally of Ujimasa, joined his large force of 30,000 samurai with Hideyoshi's enormous army of some 160,000. Hideyoshi attacked several castles on the borders of the Hōjō clan with most of his army laying siege to the castle at Odawara. Hideyoshi's army captured Odawara after six months (oddly for the time period, deaths on both sides were few). During this siege, Hideyoshi offered Ieyasu a radical deal. He offered Ieyasu the eight Kantō provinces which they were about to take from the Hōjō in return for the five provinces that Ieyasu currently controlled (including Ieyasu's home province of Mikawa). Ieyasu accepted this proposal. Bowing to the overwhelming power of the Toyotomi army, the Hōjō accepted defeat, the top Hōjō leaders killed themselves and Ieyasu marched in and took control of their provinces, so ending the clan's reign of over 100 years. Ieyasu now gave up control of his five provinces (Mikawa, Tōtōmi, Suruga, Shinano, and Kai) and moved all his soldiers and vassals to the Kantō region. He himself occupied the castle town of Edo in Kantō. This was possibly the riskiest move Ieyasu ever made — to leave his home province and rely on the uncertain loyalty of the formerly Hōjō samurai in Kantō. In the event, it worked out brilliantly for Ieyasu. He reformed the Kantō provinces, controlled and pacified the Hōjō samurai and improved the underlying economic infrastructure of the lands. Also, because Kantō was somewhat isolated from the rest of Japan, Ieyasu was able to maintain a unique level of autonomy from Hideyoshi's rule. Within a few years, Ieyasu had become the second most powerful daimyo in Japan. There is a Japanese proverb which likely refers to this event "Ieyasu won the Empire by retreating." In 1592, Hideyoshi invaded Korea as a prelude to his plan to attack China (see Japanese invasions of Korea 1592–1598 for more information about this campaign). The Tokugawa samurai never took part in this campaign. Early in 1593, Ieyasu was summoned to Hideyoshi's court in Nagoya (in Kyūshū, different from the similarly spelled city in Owari Province), as a military advisor. He stayed there, off and on for the next five years. Despite his frequent absences, Ieyasu's sons, loyal retainers and vassals were able to control and improve Edo and the other new Tokugawa lands. In 1593, Hideyoshi fathered a son and heir, Toyotomi Hideyori. In 1598, with his health clearly failing, Hideyoshi called a meeting that would determine the Council of Five Elders, who would be responsible for ruling on behalf of his son after his death. The five that were chosen as regents (tairō) for Hideyori were Maeda Toshiie, Mōri Terumoto, Ukita Hideie, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Ieyasu himself, who was the most powerful of the five. This change in the pre-Sekigahara power structure became pivotal as Ieyasu turned his attention towards Kansai; and at the same time, other ambitious (albeit ultimately unrealized) plans, such as the Tokugawa initiative establishing official relations with Mexico and New Spain, continued to unfold and advance. The Sekigahara Campaign (1598–1603) Hideyoshi, after three more months of increasing sickness, died on September 18, 1598. He was nominally succeeded by his young son Hideyori but as he was just five years old, real power was in the hands of the regents. Over the next two years Ieyasu made alliances with various daimyo, especially those who had no love for Hideyoshi. Happily for Ieyasu, the oldest and most respected of the regents died after just one year. With the death of Regent Maeda Toshiie in 1599, Ieyasu led an army to Fushimi and took over Osaka Castle, the residence of Hideyori. This angered the three remaining regents and plans were made on all sides for war. Opposition to Ieyasu centered around Ishida Mitsunari, a powerful daimyo but not one of the regents. Mitsunari plotted Ieyasu's death and news of this plot reached some of Ieyasu's generals. They attempted to kill Mitsunari but he fled and gained protection from none other than Ieyasu himself. It is not clear why Ieyasu protected a powerful enemy from his own men but Ieyasu was a master strategist and he may have concluded that he would be better off with Mitsunari leading the enemy army rather than one of the regents, who would have more legitimacy. Nearly all of Japan's daimyo and samurai now split into two factions—Mitsunari's group and anti-Mitsunari Group. Ieyasu supported anti-Mitsunari Group, and formed them as his potential allies. Ieyasu's allies were the Date clan, the Mogami clan, the Satake clan and the Maeda clan. Mitsunari allied himself with the three other regents: Ukita Hideie, Mori Terumoto, and Uesugi Kagekatsu as well as many daimyo from the eastern end of Honshū. In June 1600, Ieyasu and his allies moved their armies to defeat the Uesugi clan who was accused of planning to revolt against Toyotomi administration (Led by Ieyasu, top of Council of Five Elders). Before arriving to Uesugi's territory, Ieyasu had got information that Mitsunari and his allies moved their army against Ieyasu. Ieyasu held a meeting with daimyo, and they agreed to ally Ieyasu. He then led the majority of his army west towards Kyoto. In late summer, Ishida's forces captured Fushimi. Ieyasu and his allies marched along the Tōkaidō, while his son Hidetada went along the Nakasendō with 38,000 soldiers. A battle against Sanada Masayuki in Shinano Province delayed Hidetada's forces, and they did not arrive in time for the main battle. This battle was the biggest and likely the most important battle in Japanese history. It began on October 21, 1600 with a total of 160,000 men facing each other. The Battle of Sekigahara ended with a complete Tokugawa victory. The Western bloc was crushed and over the next few days Ishida Mitsunari and many other western nobles were captured and killed. Tokugawa Ieyasu was now the de facto ruler of Japan. Immediately after the victory at Sekigahara, Ieyasu redistributed land to the vassals who had served him. Ieyasu left some western daimyo un-harmed, such as the Shimazu clan, but others were completely destroyed. Toyotomi Hideyori (the son of Hideyoshi) lost most of his territory which were under management of western daimyo, and he was degraded to an ordinary daimyo, not a ruler of Japan. In later years the vassals who had pledged allegiance to Ieyasu before Sekigahara became known as the fudai daimyo, while those who pledged allegiance to him after the battle (in other words, after his power was unquestioned) were known as tozama daimyo. Tozama daimyo were considered inferior to fudai daimyo. Shogun Ieyasu (1603–1605) On March 24, 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu received the title of shogun from Emperor Go-Yōzei. Ieyasu was 60 years old. He had outlasted all the other great men of his times: Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Shingen, Kenshin. He was the shogun and he used his remaining years to create and solidify the Tokugawa shogunate (That was eventually to become the Edo period, about two hundred years under Ieyasu's Shogunate) , the third shogunal government (after the Minamoto and the Ashikaga). He claimed descent from the Minamoto clan by way of the Nitta family. Ironically Ieyasu descendants would marry into the Taira clan and Fujiwara Clans. The Tokugawa Shogunate would rule Japan for the next 250 years. Following a well established Japanese pattern, Ieyasu abdicated his official position as shogun in 1605. His successor was his son and heir, Tokugawa Hidetada. This may have been done, in part to avoid being tied up in ceremonial duties, and in part to make it harder for his enemies to attack the real power center, and in part to secure a smoother succession of his son. The abdication of Ieyasu had no effect on the practical extent of his powers or his rule; but Hidetada nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy. Retired shogun (1605–1616) Ieyasu, acting as the retired shogun (大御所, ōgosho?), remained the effective ruler of Japan until his death. Ieyasu retired to Sunpu Castle in Sunpu, but he also supervised the building of Edo Castle, a massive construction project which lasted for the rest of Ieyasu's life. The end result was the largest castle in all of Japan, the costs for building the castle being borne by all the other daimyo, while Ieyasu reaped all the benefits. The central donjon, or tenshu, burned in the 1657 Meireki fire. Today, the Imperial Palace stands on the site of the castle. Ogosho Ieyasu also supervised diplomatic affairs with the Netherlands and Spain. He chose to distance Japan from the Europeans starting in 1609, although the bakufu did give the Dutch exclusive trading rights and permitted them to maintain a "factory" for trading purposes. From 1605 until his death, Ieyasu consulted with an English Protestant pilot in Dutch employ, William Adams, who played a noteworthy role in forming and furthering the Shogunate's evolving relations with Spain and the Roman Catholic Church. In 1611, Ieyasu, at the head of 50,000 men, visited Kyoto to witness the coronation of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. In Kyoto, Ieyasu ordered the remodeling of the imperial court and buildings, and forced the remaining western daimyo to sign an oath of fealty to him. In 1613, he composed the Kuge Shohatto' a document which put the court daimyo under strict supervision, leaving them as mere ceremonial figureheads. The influences of Christianity, which was beset by quarreling over the Protestant Reformation and its aftermath, on Japan were proving problematic for Ieyasu. In 1614, he signed the Christian Expulsion Edict which banned Christianity, expelled all Christians and foreigners, and banned Christians from practicing their religion. As a result, many Kirishitans (early Japanese Christians) fled to either Portuguese Macau or the Spanish Philippines. In 1615, he prepared the Buke Shohatto, a document setting out the future of the Tokugawa regime. Siege of Osaka The climax of Ieyasu's life was the siege of Osaka Castle (1614–1615). The last remaining threat to Ieyasu's rule was Hideyori, the son and rightful heir to Hideyoshi. He was now a young daimyo living in Osaka Castle. Many samurai who opposed Ieyasu rallied around Hideyori, claiming that he was the rightful ruler of Japan. Ieyasu found fault with the opening ceremony of a temple built by Hideyori—it was as if Hideyori prayed for Ieyasu's death and the ruin of Tokugawa clan. Ieyasu ordered Toyotomi to leave Osaka Castle, but those in the castle refused and started to gather samurai into the castle. Then the Tokugawa, with a huge army led by Ogosho Ieyasu and Shogun Hidetada, laid siege to Osaka castle in what is now known as "the Winter Siege of Osaka." Eventually, Tokugawa made a deal threatening Hideyori's mother, Yodogimi, firing cannons towards the castle to stop the fighting. However, as soon as the treaty was agreed upon, Tokugawa filled Osaka Castle's moats with sand so his troops could go across them. Ieyasu returned to Sumpu once, but after Toyotomi refused another order to leave Osaka, he and his allied army of 155,000 soldiers attacked Osaka Castle again in "the Summer Siege of Osaka." Finally in late 1615, Osaka Castle fell and nearly all the defenders were killed including Hideyori, his mother (Hideyoshi's widow, Yodogimi), and his infant son. His wife, Senhime (a granddaughter of Ieyasu), was sent back to Tokugawa alive. With the Toyotomi finally extinguished, no threats remained to Tokugawa's domination of Japan. The end of his life In 1616, Ieyasu died at age 73. The cause of death is thought to have been cancer or syphilis. The first Tokugawa shogun was posthumously deified with the name Tōshō Daigongen (東照大権現), the "Great Gongen, Light of the East". (A Gongen (the prefix Dai- meaning great) is believed to be a buddha who has appeared on Earth in the shape of a kami to save sentient beings). In life, Ieyasu had expressed the wish to be deified after his death in order to protect his descendants from evil. His remains were buried at the Gongens' mausoleum at Kunōzan, Kunōzan Tōshō-gū (久能山東照宮). After the first anniversary of his death, his remains were reburied at Nikkō Shrine, Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮). His remains are still there. The mausoleum's architectural style became known as gongen-zukuri, that is gongen-style. Gallery Image:Ieyasu.jpg|Samurai Warriors artwork Image:Ieyasu-sw2concept.jpg|Samurai Warriors 2 polished concept art Sw3ieyasu.jpg|Samurai Warriors 3 render Image:Ieyasu kessen.jpg|Kessen screenshot Image:Ieyasu-kessenIII.jpg|Ieyasu (left) and Nobunaga (right) in Kessen III Ieyasu-crkessenII.jpg|''CR Kessen ~ Sengoku Seiha no Michi'' render for his "Kessen" form Image:Ieyasu-saihai.jpg|Saihai no Yukue artwork Ieyasu-nobuambittendou.jpg|Nobunaga's Ambition: Tendou portrait Tokugawa-nobuambionline.jpg|Nobunaga's Ambition Online render Ieyasu-nobunyagayabou.jpg|Tokunyawa Ieyasu in Nobunyaga no Yabou Chikainosanyaprofiles-ieyasu.jpg|Chikai no Sanya portraits Trivia *In the Sengoku Jidai themed comic, Sengoku Angelique, Marcel acts as the Ieyasu of the cast. His full name is "Tokugawa Marcel Ieyasu". Category:Samurai Warriors Characters Category:Warriors Orochi Characters Category:Kessen Characters Category:Saihai no Yukue Characters